NEAR WEST SIDE — A famous street food stand that’s called the Maxwell Street area home since 1939 is moving to Pilsen to make way for a new University of Illinois Chicago development.
Jim’s Original must vacate its location at 1250 S. Union Ave. by June 30, the iconic restaurant announced on social media Friday.
The restaurant, which is known for popularizing the Maxwell Street Polish sausage and the pork chop sandwich, will move to 551 W. 18th St. this fall, the business announced.
The move will end a nearly 90-year run for the restaurant in the Maxwell Street area. Opened in 1939, the street food staple called the corner of Halsted and Maxwell streets home for over 60 years, anchoring a Maxwell Street neighborhood that was a hub for immigrants and home to a famous outdoor market.
It was at the Maxwell Street location where Jim’s Original pioneered the Polish sausage and pork chop sandwich and developed its signature sweet grilled onions and mustard toppings.
Jim’s Original moved from the corner in 2001 due to the University of Illinois Chicago’s expansion and redevelopment of the Maxwell Street area, according to its website. It then moved roughly a block north to its current Union Street location in 2005.
Jim’s Original is moving to a new location in Pilsen in late 2026. Credit: Facebook/Jim’s Original
The university, which is Jim’s Original’s landlord, is planning to redevelop the restaurant property, according to the business. It is unclear what plans are in stpre for the location. University of Illinois Chicago could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday.
In 2021, the university told the restaurant it had to reduce its 24-hours business model close at 1 a.m. to deter crime around the campus, according to the Sun-Times.
Jim’s Original is hoping to extend its time on Union Avenue “for several more years” while also moving forward with plans to open on 18th Street, the business said on Facebook.
“While it’s bittersweet, we’re looking forward to what’s next and building a great new permanent home for Jim’s Original,” management wrote.
A rendering of the new location shows the business as advertising a return to being open 24 hours. Jim’s Original is taking over the space previously occupied to Ken Tone’s Drive-In, a diner that opened in 1968 but closed in recent years.
“Thank you for showing up, spreading the word, and making Jim’s Original part of your story — we’ll keep the grills going and we can’t wait to keep serving you at our next home,” management wrote on Facebook.
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